Redefine:
Sasuke stared at the dark path leaving the village and clucked his tongue.
She was late.
He would've expected it from Kakashi, but he never recalled a time when Sakura was tardy. Hell, if memory served she was annoyingly prompt. It was probably one of the only qualities he liked about her. Though if he really thought about it, he didn't know this stranger he was waiting on. All he had were outdated memories of a former life.
His eyes fell to the ground as he recalled Kakashi's earlier words: People aren't stagnant, Sasuke and seven years is a long time.
Sasuke scoffed. It was Sakura for crying out loud. How much could she have changed?
His head snapped up when he heard the sound of footsteps to see someone coming towards him. He knew immediately it was Sakura from the pink he could make out.
She was dressed in a burgundy tank top, Sasuke noticed, the darker hue of her favored color less attractive to unknown enemies. She had a pair of black capri's and heeled ninja sandals like her mentor. She looked older, he supposed, more mature. Though, he wasn't exactly expecting her to still look like a child. The moment he was able to see her face, however, he knew she was still the same. Perhaps a little thinner in the cheeks, but her features hadn't changed. Her wide doe eyes were still too expressive, her once again long hair still looked like it would get in the way, and her body didn't look like one of a hardened shinobi. Fragile limbs and delicate skin. Sakura.
Meeting her eyes when she stopped before him, Sasuke knew she hadn't changed in the least.
"Ready?" he asked, already turning his back on her without so much as a second thought. He was a bit surprised by her reply.
"No, actually, there's one more thing."
The moment he turned his head to look over his shoulder at her, his jaw was met with the knuckles of her fist. Stumbling to face her as he skidded a few paces away, he watched—the shock expertly hidden—as she smiled threateningly.
"That was for forcing me away from my home for an entire year." Readjusting the strap of her bag, she added, "Now, I'm ready."
Sasuke's eyes trailed after her as she walked past him without a second glance. He was surprised by the surge of pain in his jaw when he tried to frown. Swiping his thumb across the corner of his mouth he was even more surprised to see it smeared with red.
"Tch."
Spitting out the excess liquid now flooding his mouth, Sasuke's eyes stared at Sakura with a newfound curiosity. He of all people should've known appearances could be deceiving.
. . .
Chapter Five_
“Into the Wild”:
Sakura felt a little better after punching Sasuke. She was still bitter about having to leave Konoha, but the shock that flooded Sasuke's eyes in that brief moment was enough to satiate her temper. Well, that plus the fact that his jaw was beginning to turn a nasty shade of purple. Smiling to herself, Sakura supposed the little outburst would last her for about a week.
That leaves three-hundred and fifty-eight more days, thought Sakura—her previous mood waning a bit. She glanced at Sasuke's jaw. It helped.
Neither had spoken a word since they left Konoha. It was slightly unnerving for Sakura. Not only did she enjoy some form of distraction, as well as the bonus awkward reducing chatter, but also she was use to being with Ino or Naruto and she couldn't get them to stop talking.
It was far too drastic a change.
Still, she knew she shouldn't expect any less. It was Sasuke for heaven's sake. The day he carried a conversation would be the day pigs fly!
Sasuke, she thought, her mood sobering with memories of her childhood—of their childhood, you still seem like you're lost.
Sakura's green eyes stayed trained on her former teammate. He was tall, she realized, and he looked very tense. The ridge of his shoulder blades trailing to his neck and down his lithe arms—every muscle looked taught, ready to uncoil like a tightly wound spring. And she was able to tell this just from the stiff movements as he leapt from one tree branch to another. She couldn't imagine seeing the seemingly steel like muscles between a thin layer of skin.
He was a ninja, that was for certain.
Nothing about him was anything less then efficient for battle. He wore black to remain hidden in the shadows. His shirt was loose enough for maneuverability, but tight enough to not get in the way. Bandages ran up the length of his forearm before being covered by armguards to keep a blade secure in his grip at all times. The same white bandages were wrapped an inch or so below his knee with shin guards protecting the bone beneath in times of powerful kicks. The only thing even remotely identifying was the Uchiha fan displayed on his back and the katana secured to his waist.
Though Sakura supposed he was a ninja. It was only smart for him to be ready for battle. Especially considering the fact that he was a missing-nin without a village.
Ex missing-nin, corrected Sakura. With the new treaty, Sasuke was officially affiliated with Otokagure.
The thought caused Sakura's eyes to slide to the Oto headband tied beside Sasuke's katana at his waist.
The sight didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.
"Perhaps it really has been too long," murmured Sakura before a yawn snuck up on her. Bringing a hand up to cover her mouth and wipe the sleepy tears pooling along her eyelids, Sakura was surprised to open her eyes and see Sasuke looking at her out of the corner of his eyes.
She nearly plummeted to the ground when he stopped, her mind telling her body to do the same without actually considering the next tree branch.
"We'll stop here and rest," said Sasuke and Sakura caught the slight twinge in his cheek from the pain of moving his jaw.
She supposed she should feel bad, but then she remembered the fact that she was heading to Oto because of him. For a year.
"I'm fine," she said when they reached a small clearing. He hadn't really given her any chance to speak before jumping down from the forest canopy. Sakura wasn't at all shocked.
Sasuke shook his head, "We've made good time. We'll be there tomorrow regardless."
Sakura sighed as quietly as she could. She may not like the situation, but she wasn't going to start acting like some baby and start whining about it.
Just as she pulled out a blanket from her bag, Sakura nearly choked on her own spit at the next thing that left Sasuke's mouth.
"Can you heal this?" he asked, his fingers ghosting over the angry bruise.
"Y-yes," said Sakura, completely shocked that Sasuke would admit he was not only injured, but that the injury was bothering him. The shock led to her staring at Sasuke like a wide-eyed idiot.
"Will you?" asked Sasuke and Sakura wasn't sure if she imagined the slight irritation or not.
Shaking her head slightly, Sakura quickly found her right of mind as she said, "It would kind of defeat the purpose of punching you. I think I'd rather you suffer."
When Sasuke simply gave her a blank look before he went to take watch, Sakura felt her stomach knot up.
After fifteen minutes of trying to sleep, but actually just chewing on her lip in guilt, she kicked off her blanket and found the branch occupied by Sasuke.
He watched as she straddled the tree branch before him, causing her to feel a bit self-conscious. She easily shook it off remembering that he was the one with the slowly swelling jaw.
Clicking on her small hand light, Sakura stuck it between her teeth before grabbing his chin and tilting his head to give her a better view. When he winced at the pressure of her hand, Sakura managed a quick, "So-weh," what with the flashlight restricting her.
It was healed as good as new a minute later.
Sakura clicked off the small light as Sasuke rubbed his now healed jaw.
"You changed your mind," he said, stating a fact.
Sakura let out a heavy sigh as she swung a leg over the branch preparing to head back to the forest floor.
"You made me feel guilty and I couldn't sleep. Though I must say I'm surprised you would ask for my help in the first place."
Sakura eyed him curiously as he merely shrugged. Feeling uncomfortable under his emotionless stare, she mumbled a quick, "G'night," before sliding from the branch and landing with a dull thud.
Lying down once more, Sakura couldn't shake the nagging thought running through her head.
She'd been wrong—he had changed.
